ï»¿Businessman, sushi king and highly versatile political personality Kenny Kunene has founded a political party and registered it with the IEC in time for the 2014 elections

Happier days…Kunene presumably aims at inspiring the youth with his can-do attitude and personal story; but will he win the feminist vote?

Businessman, sushi king and highly versatile political personality Kenny Kunene has founded a political party and registered it with the IEC in time for the 2014 elections. Kunene’s new outfit, the Patriotic Alliance, has announced no policies or a manifesto as yet, but analysts expect a platform closely related to the views Kunene broadcast as a staunch EFF backer until recently.

Kunene’s resignation from the EFF was announced in August this year. Up to that time, the outspoken entrepreneur had railed against the ANC leadership and promoted the EFF’s compellingly unsophisticated programme of redress – including outright nationalisation of farming land and mines, without compensation. Kunene was also a journalist’s darling, using his prominence to call President Zuma a ‘monster’ and a ‘tyrant’ in a widely circulated open letter.

In the letter, dated June 2013, Kunene wrote that Gupta-gate should be the last straw for South Africans, who, despite the fact that many in the ANC were ‘terrified’ to speak out against him, should toss out the liberation party in favour of a new broom.

But voters who hope to know exactly how the Patriotic Alliance will sweep clean will need to remain patient for a little longer. Given the time frames required for fundraising, party registration and canvassing, any new political party founded in the new year is unlikely to have a serious chance of winning seats, and is more likely to be a media platform for the independently wealthy to speak from – and be guaranteed a certain amount of media coverage.